


Helping Hands

by laur2ren



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Grocery Store, F/M, Grocery Shopping, ben helps rey with her grocery bags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:00:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25314217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laur2ren/pseuds/laur2ren
Summary: Based off of the reylo prompt that when across the apartment hallway Ben notices Rey struggling to bring in her groceries, he picks all of them up and brings every single one of them inside her apartment.
Relationships: Rey & Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo
Comments: 10
Kudos: 39





	Helping Hands

**Author's Note:**

> This was a fun prompt; I hope you enjoy!

Rey huffed. A hallway, and what felt like a few hundred pounds of groceries. 

Usually, this situation was actually fine. Financial security, security that gave her peace of mind when buying food was always a welcome feeling, and quite honestly, she also felt as if her arms were getting toned from the weekly endeavor. This time though, she made the mistake of going to the grocery store when she was hungry.  _ Note to self _ , she mentally thought,  _ never go to the grocery store hungry _ . Earlier, stomach growling, she had gotten up to start her day. She planned to drive, but upon noticing the gentle sway of leaves on the trees and the soft sunlight of the early morning, Rey decided to walk. A mistake, the first of what was going to become a long list of mistakes for the day. 

When Rey had gotten to the store, grabbing a cart, the bakery was the first  stop on her list. The mouth watering aroma of freshly baked bread wafted to her and momentarily paused Rey in her path.  _ Definitely getting bread.  _ Her eyes wandered over varieties of baked goods: flaky croissants, rotund bagels, crusty baguettes, sweet rolls.  _ Everything,  _ her stomach seemed to moan,  _ I want all of it.  _ Shaking her head, Rey hastily grabbed one of the still warm from the oven baguettes and made her way to the aisles of the store. 

_ What to get, what to get.  _ Rey’s stomach seemed in the mood for Italian, seemingly directing her to all the appropriate ingredients.  _ Pasta? Check. Sauce? Check.  _ On her way to the dairy aisle for parmesan, she stopped in front of a display of premade pizza crusts. Her eyes slid to the baguette already lying in her cart, then back to the pizza crusts.  _ Well, I’m sure I’ll have extra sauce after making the spaghetti.  _ She shrugged, and placed the boxed crust into the cart. 

_ Parmesan, parmesan, parmesan- aha!  _ After passing the parmesan a few times, it almost hiding between the sharp cheddar and extra sharp cheddar cheese, Rey’s stomach growled, as if scolding her. It seemed to demand, w _ hy aren’t we eating yet? _ Rey only grimaced before redirecting her cart to the fresh produce aisle. Her growing hunger wasn’t having it. Rey’s stomach pushed her to a full 180, the nose of the cart pointing to the end of the store where the processed food was.  _ Chips, chips, chips, chips, chips- no!  _

Rey frowned as she placed a bag of lightly salted potato chips into the cart. She shook her head.  _ First mistake: going to the grocery store hungry.  _ Everything just looked so good. 

Moments later, she found herself opening the bag as she browsed the fresh produce. As Rey was reaching for lettuce, from the corner of her eyes, she saw an employee frown at the open bag of chips in her hand, then at the greasy tips of her fingers reaching for the leafy greens. Clearing her throat, embarrassed, she quickly scrunched the top of the bag, tossed it back into the cart, and hastily wiped her fingers on her pants.  _ Embarrassing,  _ her mind muttered.  _ Don’t care, need food,  _ her stomach growled back. Her stomach, as unhelpful as ever. Rey grabbed the lettuce. 

Waiting in line proved a new hell.  _ Pick me,  _ the saturated colors of the candy bars seemed to scream,  _ choose me.  _ Rey shook her head.  _ I’m not here for candy, I’m here for a delicious spaghetti lunch I’m going to have later and-  _ three chocolate candy bars were dropped on the conveyor belt. Rey looked at her hand.  _ Traitor.  _

The second mistake of the day weighed down on Rey the second the employee handed Rey her groceries. She had, or rather her stomach, had gotten carried away earlier. Usually this wasn’t a problem, her car normally parked in the lot out front. But no. She only huffed, and pulled the straps of bags into her hands. It was going to be fine. Her apartment building was only a few blocks away. She would make it. 

The third mistake of the day glared down on Rey after the first couple of blocks.  _ It’s so damn hot,  _ her mind unhelpfully supplied. Earlier that morning, the sun was only softly shining, and the breeze was calm, gently ruffling her hair. Now, closer to lunch time, the sun was overhead pressing an oppressive blanket of heat on her head, her shoulders, her everywhere.  _ So. Damn. Hot.  _ The calming breeze from the morning stayed, however, her arms now laden with groceries,  _ curse you monstrous appetite,  _ perspiration came more readily, all her energy going into her arms. 

_ Finally, finally,  _ her arms seemed to sigh, her building came into sight. Nudging open the main doors, Rey dragged her feet across the lobby, the blissful AC surrounding her as she made her way to the elevator. Stumbling into the elevator, she dropped the groceries onto the floor, jabbing the button to her floor, then slumping along the side of the elevator. The doors begun to close- 

“Wait! Hold the elevator!” 

Rey jumped, her leg flashing out to the closing gap. The doors reversed, opening back up. 

“Thanks,” a deep voice, coming from a very, very broad man entering the elevator came to Rey’s senses. He briefly leaned in front of Rey to press the button to his floor, but stopped halfway. “Oh, same floor.” He stepped aside to the free space in the elevator. 

Rey didn’t respond. Her mind, numbed from the blistering walk over, was devoid of thoughts.  _ No thoughts, head empty,  _ her mind snickered. 

Her eyes shifted to her left.  _ I barely come to his shoulder.  _ Her eyes slipped up, landing on the man’s hair- her jaw almost dropped. It was long, and dark, and  _ oh my god,  _ it was up in a half bun that just looked so good on him and- 

She took a step, her back hitting the elevator wall behind her. At that, he turned to her, a slight furrow to his brow, a look of concern in his eyes. 

“Are you alright?”  _ Even his voice is nice.  _ She internally moaned.  _ Is this man even real?  _

The elevator pinged. 

“It’s your-” he paused, “well, our floor.” He lifts a corner of his mouth up: a sort of smile. Rey only continued to stare back. A semblance of control came to Rey, and she puffed, as if to catch her breath. 

“I- yes. Thank you,” she placed a hand on the wall, mentally bracing herself to pick up her heavy groceries. Closing her eyes, she steeled herself, taking one last huff of breath. Upon opening them, her sight shocks her. 

The man is bending down in front of her, his arms,  _ oh my god look at his arms,  _ pushing through the loops in the grocery bags, and his hands,  _ hands large, she unhelpfully thinks,  _ pulling at the bags at the end, securing all of them in his grip. He walks out the elevator, and Rey scurries to follow him out. 

At this point, her mind spews memes into her consciousness, all of them unhelpful in her situation. 

_ Spare hand in marriage sir?  _

Rey shakes her head. 

He stops just out of the elevator, where the apartment hallway stretches on both sides. 

“Which way?” He looks back at her. 

“The left,” she tilts her head, “all the way at the end.” At that, he starts making his way to the end of the left hallway. 

The hallway was narrow, and due to her hallmate? neighbor? walking first, she silently trails behind.  _ Broad. Broad man, her mind happily sighs.  _

As her door approaches, steps to the side, trying his best to move to the side so she can unlock her door. Squeezing past him, she opens the door into her flat. He walks right in, placing the groceries on her dining table. 

“Thank you Mr…? ” she gratefully voices, “you didn’t have to do that.” 

“You’re welcome,” he responds, his eyes roaming around her space, then landing back on her. “It’s no problem.” 

He gives her a half smile. Rey shyly smiles back. 

“And it’s Ben. I live right across the hall,” he gestures to the hallway, “also all the way at the end.” 

At that, Rey fully smiles. 

It’s Ben now, who looks taken aback, momentarily shaken. 

His hand goes to the back of his neck, slightly ducking. It's the very vision of bashfulness. Rey’s heart sighs. 

“Well,” he removes his hand, “I’d better get going.” He turns. 

“It was nice meeting you Ben,” Rey sticks a hand out. He takes it, his hand dwarfing hers in a handshake. 

“You as well.” 

And with that, he walks out, closing her door as he leaves. 

Rey walks to her couch, her limbs folding, giving up.  _ I’ll gladly make the mistake of shopping hungry again,  _ she thinks,  _ just to see him again.  _

At that, her stomach growls again, furious, and Rey gets up to start her lunch. 

**Author's Note:**

> the way my grasp on the english language has been reduced to twitter memes and tik tok audios,,,,,, embarrassing


End file.
